Espeo Software

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of technology at The Human Aspect in Oslo, Norway. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We needed help with web platform development for our mental health tool, which already has 100,000 users a month. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Espeo Software is developing our web-based platform using React.js for the frontend and Google Cloud for hosting. Their team is also using GitLab. Their team of junior developers has already refactored the existing website from one language to another. Our team provides some support, but they're in charge of the work. We've provided a development plan for their team to follow, which is updated based on Espeo Software's input. 

What is the team composition?

Their team consists of 12 developers, two UX designers, and a product manager. 

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

Our founder is a part of the Ashoka Program, which connects its members to organizations that can help them. We were connected to Espeo Software through Tech to the Rescue, a platform where technology companies are connected to nonprofits and charities. We put in an application, and Espeo Software reached out to us and offered their help. 

How much have you invested with them?

Since Espeo Software is a part of Tech to the Rescue, they're offering their services for free for three months so they can train their junior developers. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Espeo Software began in June 2022. 

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Espeo Software has followed our ambitious project plan and hit our milestones, which we didn't expect to happen. We do a lot of user testing, getting opinions from psychologists on the platform. To measure success, we'll determine how many users reach out for help or use our resources to help themselves. 

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Espeo Software actually over delivers when it comes to communication. Since I'm the product manager, I'm part of the stand-ups we have on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We have great dialogue via Slack. We've built a good relationship with their junior developers, who aren't as experienced but are very clear on their needs and abilities. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It's been a pleasure working with Espeo Software. They're the first big technology company to work with us on this scale. I only have overwhelmingly positive feedback at the moment. They've thrown more resources at the project than we'd expected. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for Espeo Software to improve upon. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Espeo Software is good at their work and has a great team. If you start by building a strong relationship with them, they'll be more likely to overdeliver. Their values are excellent and they treat their staff well; they're very passionate. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of engineering at Sproutt Insurance, a fintech company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We wanted to build a new product from scratch for an end client efficiently.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Espeo Software has helped us build an MVP for a client. They've provided us with frontend developers and one automation QA tester. We set up the team with their resources and people from our side and built the solution together. The product is a web application that functions as a portal for insurance agencies. Users can get quotes and rates from life insurance companies in the app. 

Currently, they're still providing us with engineering services. The Espeo Software team helps us make product decisions and give their input on designs. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with four people from Espeo Software: two frontend developers, an automation QA tester, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

One of our co-founders found them, and I believe it was through a reference. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around €200,000 (approximately $203,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2021, and our partnership is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’re very impressed and pleased with every resource Espeo Software has provided. I’ve been managing them since day one and have worked with them as an engineer myself, and I’d give high marks to every member of their team. With their help, we’ve successfully launched the MVP to the client.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira for project management and Slack and Zoom for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Espeo Software provides everything we need and communicates with us continuously. Overall, we’re very pleased with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they need to improve; they’ve been great.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Monethero, a decentralized crowdlending platform.

For what projects/services did your company hire Espeo Software?

There were two primary goals. Build a decentralized platform that would allow the lending process based on the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain. And the integration of an external system provides loan data with the ability to store this data on the blockchain network.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We were looking for a company with expertise in blockchain technology as the previous provider had failed with delivery. We needed someone to implement the blockchain layer of our solution.

In the beginning, we consulted a lot with Dominik from Espeo. These were technical discussions about whether the answer was buildable. Then, after the consulting and advisory phase, we found that there was good chemistry, so we started working with Espeo Blockchain, who expressed a genuine interest in the project and a desire to understand what it is all about.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We began our work by consulting and defining the scope of work and selecting the blockchain technology that would fit our project best.

Finally, we have chosen Hyperledger Fabric, as it is a private blockchain and one of the most mature blockchain frameworks available for fintech industry use. Many important financial institutions also use HLF in our local market, i.e., KIR (National Clearing House).

The first step was to configure and deploy the Hyperledger Fabric network on AWS cloud client infrastructure. It was followed by creating and implementing the back-end logic and API for receiving data from Telescopo's external platform. This allows our platform to retrieve data from Telescopo regarding signed loan agreements and generated loan repayment schedules.

Espeo has also implemented chaincodes that enable the verification of loan data stored on the blockchain. Thanks to this all data related to specific loan agreements can be safely stored on the blockchain. Espeo Blockchain has also created permission and security policies for users and organizations which settle who can view particular data stored on the blockchain network. After that, they performed system testing and then released it to the production environment.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

A dedicated blockchain developer was involved, and the project manager managed the process. We have maintained direct communication between the Monethero and Espeo technical teams and worked in the agile methodology.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Thanks to Espeo's work, our customers have the opportunity to reach thousands of potential investors willing to support their projects through our platform. Registration, submission of the Loan Application, conclusion of the Loan Agreement, and other agreements are made entirely electronically on the platform.

The deadline for receiving the financing depends only on the customer. That is when the user needs to provide the necessary documents to the platform. The borrower determines the interest rate of the loan and the costs they are willing to spend on the process of obtaining financing on the platform.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Espeo Blockchain has provided a clear workflow and high-quality communication. For project management, we used JIRA and Slack for communication. We have been regularly exchanging honest feedback towards each other. So that we have built a sincere, trusting, and stable relationship, their team did their best to use their time as effectively as possible.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was genuinely impressed with how Espeo Blockchain understood our goals and answered our needs. We appreciate that they are eager to listen and are involved in helping us achieve our goals. What also makes them stand out is the high quality of the developers they provide. They are an excellent team to collaborate with. Professional and committed, easy to communicate, agile not in the name only, and ready to do what it takes to provide the required value.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

There is always room for improvement. But there were not any specific or significant issues that I could point out.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a fintech startup company. We’re a B2C2B platform focusing on the mass affluence investment market.

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We needed help with web development, UI/UX design, and video production.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Espeo Software helped us design and develop an informative WordPress website that gives precise information about our core services and offerings. Before jumping into the site’s development, they did a design workshop. During this stage of the project, they were in charge of the UI/UX design of our platform. They also created web and mobile prototypes to showcase it.

Using the prototypes, Espeo Software recorded seven videos for us, ranging from 20–45 seconds each. In these videos, they walked users through our platform’s prototype to demonstrate its functionality. As for the site itself, they integrated HubSpot as the CRM on the backend. They also included links to the prototype’s videos, which were published on YouTube. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with numerous people from Espeo Software, including senior project managers, client advisors, app developers, and app designers. At any given time, 5–6 different people were working on our project.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

We reached out to Espeo Software due to their expertise in graphic design, product design, UI/UX design, and consultancy. Additionally, one of my employees had used them before at his previous company. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €55,000 (approximately $58,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2021–March 2022.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Espeo Software guided us through the entire project to achieve success. They helped us think about how to approach our challenges and organize our ideas regarding the structure of our site and our platform. Although we’ve seen some traffic on our site, we haven’t officially gone to market yet. Once we launch our platform, we will start our SEO efforts, and we expect to see a massive increase in traffic. Overall, I would rate their work 5/5.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Espeo Software was very responsive, met their deadlines, and stayed within budget. They used Adobe for the designs and Trello to manage the project. Additionally, we communicated via Google Meet and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Espeo Software was very creative, and they understood the fintech market very well. Additionally, they understood our business too, including our positioning, statements, and startup condition.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing they could have improved. They’ve even provided excellent after-sales and after-implementation services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know exactly what you want to build. If you go with an exact goal, Espeo Software can guide you and help you navigate through the process. Additionally, allow them to be creative because they’re very good in that regard.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a tribe lead at Terveystalo, a Finnish private healthcare services provider.

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We saw a growing demand in the Finnish public healthcare sector for remote healthcare services, so we needed a company that could help us develop a remote services platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

With Espeo Software’s help, we have developed a digital remote services platform that allows healthcare professionals to provide remote healthcare services for end-users. It is a software as a service (SaaS) product, which allows us to deliver different instances of it to different organization customers.

Together with Espeo Software, we started the engagement by developing the product’s design and exploring the customer experience, after which we started the development of the MVP version. It took us four months to launch the MVP, and we are still working together for the product’s continuous improvement.

What is the team composition?

We work with one frontend developer and one backend developer from Espeo Software.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

Our company used to have a policy of only using Finnish-speaking developers, but we’ve recently started to look into other opportunities in the European market. We conducted interviews with a number of companies and eventually found a good match with Espeo Software.

This cooperation with Espeo Software was a huge internal cultural leap for us, as it has also led to the fact that we’ve also started hiring non-Finnish developers for our in-house teams.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around €170,000 (Approximately $190,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Espeo Software in September 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our KPIs at the moment include the amount of produced remote services on our platforms and our customer success metrics, which include the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Effort Score (CES). As of now, our NPS is somewhere between 75-80, which matches our goal of 80, and our CES is 4.66 out of five, which is also very good.

Aside from that, we also conducted accessibility auditing with regard to the accessibility of the software’s UI. It needed to be fully accessible, which means that people with hearing or seeing problems should be able to use our services. We found that our product is indeed very accessible and is compliant with different standards such as the WCHG standards. This is a very good success metric in terms of the product’s front end.

Additionally, we conducted a security audit, and no major risks were found. The feedback from our developers has also been very positive — we haven’t conducted any code reviews from different teams, but all the things that have been done in cooperation with Espeo Software have all had a positive impact on the partnership.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Espeo Software has led a very clear workflow. They regularly ask for feedback and are very honest with their feedback towards our team as well. Overall, I believe that we’ve established a very honest, trusting working relationship.

In terms of the schedule, we didn’t really set any strict deadlines because we employ an agile methodology. What we really aimed for was to launch the MVP before the end of the year, which we successfully achieved because of their efficiency and good quality of work.

We primarily used Slack for communication, Jira for project management, and Confluence for documentation.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I am most impressed with how Espeo Software was able to match our needs. We needed very experienced developers for this project, and they managed to find them for us. I think that the quality of the developers that they provided really makes them stand out from the other companies I had worked with before.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything that Espeo Software could improve on. We did face some onboarding challenges, but I think that’s always part of the learning process. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think it would be helpful to have a kickoff meeting before you start the project to get to know them better and familiarize yourselves with each other’s working styles since you’re most likely going to work with them remotely.

I also believe that the best things can be achieved through genuine collaboration, so it’s important to show that you care about the product, how the development is going, and most importantly, how the developers are doing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Education Alliance Finland. We conduct quality evaluations and certifications of learning solutions.

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We needed to develop a software solution to crowdsource the product evaluation work. We didn’t have any in-house tech talent and didn’t want to recruit any.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially described our needs and the problem we needed to solve with the software. We co-developed the idea further with Espeo. They brought in their technical expertise, and together we were able to come up with ideas on how we could do the project from a technical and system architecture point of view. Once we concluded how it should be developed, our in-house project manager and their team started working on it.

They developed two pieces of software. The first piece was the web-based product evaluation platform where our evaluators could conduct their work. It was linked to our certified solutions catalog, which we could publish from the evaluation tool in the catalog.

Then, our in-house project manager moved on to another company, so our designer took the project management side. She drew wireframes and communicated our design needs to the team.

When we were developing the catalog, our in-house artists drew the art for the website and article. On the other hand, Espeo gave us suggestions about the evaluation platform, which was simple in its UI and visual appearance. We recommended a few changes and went with it.

Now, Espeo continues to help us with maintenance. We have to do some fixes every now and then, so we get ideas for additional features. Whenever we do something new, they provide us with at least a sketch — there’s no need to do any fancy layouts if it’s an element or feature for the evaluation tool.

What is the team composition?

We’ve probably worked with 8–10 different people over the years. We usually work with two developers.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

We asked for offers and discussed them with different development houses. We chose Espeo for their communication. After talking to a few companies, it was evident that they were the ones we wanted to work with. In the beginning, it was easy to meet face-to-face to ensure they understood the problem.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between €200,000–€250,000 (approximately $227,000–$284,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017, and our relationship is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We haven’t had any issues with the platform. We have a few hundred teachers conducting the evaluation, and about 10,000 people visit the catalog every month. Moreover, we’ve always managed to develop all of the features and solutions we’ve needed to do our work, so we have no complaints.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

During development, we had weekly calls with the team to communicate current tasks. We used Trello to organize the work and keep everyone on the same page. Also, we used Slack for instant communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their estimates are accurate, and we always get the impression that they’re honest. We’re a small company, so we need to know how much it will cost, and they’ve been beneficial for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A while back, we were only doing minor enhancements with them, and their developers were changing every now and then. Whenever there was a new developer, they introduced them and didn’t charge for the time they were onboarded; they only started charging when the new developer could start the coding work. We initially had some concerns about changing developers, but it didn’t cause any harm, and it worked well in the end.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure the communication is fluent. Also, personalities matter a lot, so try to chat and form a trusting relationship.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of operations at a 501(c)(3) public charity that supports independent journalism and editorial projects. I manage all of the administrative functions and support finance and grant management. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

Our company opened in 2017 and needed to establish a web presence. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Espeo Software developed a website in WordPress for our company. We provided all the content and a rough design draft that included logos and graphics. Espeo Software also created a database for our site and incorporated additional visuals into the site. Their team also provided basic training so we could make small changes to the website in-house. 

Now, they provide monthly web support and make whatever edits we need. That often includes building new features or adding new pages. Espeo Software ensures our backend is always up to date. 

What is the team composition?

We had initially worked with 2–3 teammates during the development phase. Now, I only work with Dominik (Consulting Director). 

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

We work closely with a prominent newspaper in London, and they recommended Espeo Software to us. We're a small team and didn't have the capacity to search for a firm to complete this work for us, so we hired Espeo Software. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested around $5,000 with Espeo Software over the last few years. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership with Espeo Software began in July 2017 and it's ongoing. 

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We didn't have a website before working with Espeo Software, and now we do! 

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Espeo Software performed well regarding project management. They were communicative during the development phase and provided excellent support. Espeo Software was very responsive; we usually communicated with them via email. However, we did have a few conference calls and training sessions through a video conferencing platform. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Espeo Software is very collaborative, quick, and responsive. They have high-quality work and great customer service. Any questions that I have, Espeo Software is quick to explain in terms that I can understand. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes Espeo Software can be too efficient; I would appreciate more back and forth on requests. Occasionally, there is a delay in responses to my emails, but that is because we're located in different time zones. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers to have a clear vision of what they want their website and user experience to look like. Espeo Software is very collaborative and can help expand the vision to ensure the customer gets what they want from the partnership. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder of a startup who is developing a video contract cloud service. Video contract means a contract which is created using video call and not textual or typing based methods.

For what projects/services did your company hire Espeo Software, and what were your goals?

Product Specification & Design Workshop. That is, working together with us to further evolve the design of the service. The goal was to get a ready development plan to be implemented including the detail enough level tasks estimated.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We have known the company for a long time. They have good references and smart sales and tech team. Competitive pricing compared to our local market.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Study included these topics on a general level:

• User registration
• User login
• Payments with SMS
• Notifications
• Paying for subscriptions for plans
• Video calling
• Recording contracts
• Access to recorded contracts
• Sharing access to contracts
• Gallery of contracts
• Onboarding wizard
• Storage of the videos on the ledger
• Payments integration
• Defining contract templates

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

CTO as the core counterpart with main thinking and few assisting persons to refine the documents and create some visual material.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Too valuable results to be shared publicly. General feedback is that the service was delivered as promised, the service itself was well productised and it full filled our needs.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication was smooth vai Google cloud tools. Meetings were agreed as stated beforehand in service description.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

CTO's capability to understand and evolve the potential of the whole idea into a tangible business plan schema, topics, technical implementation and cost estimate. Their ability to understand our business as a whole was very helpful.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

It would be greed to ask for more.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and VP of R&D at Unbound Tech. We develop products for the cybersecurity fields, including a platform for enterprise organizations to secure their assets. Part of our platform provides the ability to secure cryptocurrency wallets.

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We were looking to boost our development and expand our team. We needed more development power in areas where we don’t have different expertise.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Espeo Software helps us develop cryptocurrency wallets, such as for Bitcoin. They use JavaScript and Node.js. The wallet integrates with the part of the platform that we developed on one side, and with the cryptocurrency platforms on the other side. What they develop goes into our server-side code.

What is the team composition?

We had a range of 1–3 people working for us in the beginning. With COVID-19, we now only have one person helping us.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

We have someone in Israel that is representing a few different companies in Poland, and he introduced us to them.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent €60,000 (approximately $70,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2019, and the work is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They have very concrete milestones and deliveries that we eventually test and use. The KPIs are mostly around delivering quality work on time. We’re very pleased with the work that they’re doing. The specific resources working with us are high-quality people. They know what they’re doing and understand the domain. They have good development skills, and they’re responsible.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

I asked for a low-touch process, and that’s what we got. I didn’t want to do any of the management. I wanted to be able to provide them with the spec and some basic guidelines and then let them do everything else, and this is what the process is. We communicate via Slack. We interact on an as-needed basis. I’m satisfied with the project management and communication.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have their own self-discipline to deliver quality work. They want to do a good job, unrelated to our KPIs and requirements. This is very appealing to me; in many cases working with outsourcing companies, they want to deliver and move on, and quality isn’t always an important element of their work. Espeo Software’s resources have high standards that are unrelated to what we require, which I think is the most valuable aspect of our work together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m really pleased. Hopefully, we can expand our collaboration in the future.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project management director of AfriHealth Limited, a small technology company developing software solutions using blockchain technology to solve healthcare problems in Africa.

We connect people in Africa with services that are available elsewhere in the world such as ambulances, access to pharmacies, and quick access to health insurance.

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We had just gone from the concept stage to trying to put our ideas together. Initially, we brought the team on to put together our white paper and do a financial analysis of what we were trying to build.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Espeo Software helped us streamline our white paper, which was more of a cacophony of ideas at that point. We had a couple of conversations with them, and they delivered a coherent and comprehensive white paper. The team then brought on a consultant who worked on the financial aspect. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is Dominik (Software Consulting Director & Partner). I’ve also interacted with other team members, including Francois (Business & Tech Consultant).

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

I found them through a Google search when I was looking for a company that would understand blockchain technology.

How much have you invested with them?

The first set of services was 1,000€ (approximately $1,130 USD), and since August 2019, we’ve been spending 800€ (approximately $900 USD) per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in June 2019, and it’s ongoing. We’ve passed the initial stages, so we’ve kept Espeo Software on in a consulting role for software stacks, software reviews, web technologies. 

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The team is good at researching and reviewing our software development projects. When I have an issue with what my developers are doing, I usually turn to Espeo Software to ask them questions and to get ahead in the project.

It’s been a successful partnership by any metric we can measure. It has truly been worth the money we’ve spent. 

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is always on time. If Dominik says something will be ready on Wednesday, he will definitely present it to us on Wednesday. The team is always punctual, so we haven’t had any problems in this respect.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve enjoyed the relationship, and they’ve been able to complete every task.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything right now. Whenever there’s something else I require, there’s always someone on their team who they can bring in. It’s been a great relationship, so far. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Believe in this team because they know what they’re doing. Don’t doubt what they can do.